Classic Cajun Jambalaya

Sweet Daddy D’s Cajun Jambalaya is a classic pork, andouille sausage and chicken style. Other meats can be used but its best if most of your meat has a relatively high fat content. The ingredients and quantities don’t have to be exact but should be somewhat proportional; if there is something you like-use more, if there is something you don’t like-use less or substitute. Maybe Uncle Stinky doesn’t like celery…so cut back on the celery if you want (or don’t invite Uncle Stinky!) I like to be on the high-end of the veggie quantity-and to me the onions reign supreme. If the crowd isn’t so big, this recipe can be easily cut in half.

Sweet Daddy D's Classic Cajun Jambalaya

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This a classic Cajun Tradition...pork, chicken and andouille sausage cooked with the Trinity and wonderful Cajun seasoning and spices as uncooked rice slowly absorbed all that Cajun goodness. Perfect for a crowd or a tailgate party and a lot simpler to make than you imagine.

This a classic Cajun Tradition...pork, chicken and andouille sausage cooked with the Trinity and wonderful Cajun seasoning and spices as uncooked rice slowly absorbed all that Cajun goodness. Perfect for a crowd or a tailgate party and a lot simpler to make than you imagine.

Prepare all your ingredients and set aside in their own small bowls: Cube all your meats; chop the veggies-you want about 5 to 6 cups all together; chop your garlic.

Mix the herb and spice blend (except the salt which you should add separately) in a bowl; set aside.

In a cast iron Dutch oven or other heavy pot with a lid, heat the bacon grease over medium heat. Brown the cubed pork for 15 to 20 minutes, carefully scrapping the brown sticky bits off the bottom as it cooks.

After about 20 minutes add the sausage and brown with the pork. Continue to scrap the bottom of the pan. Brown the pork and sausage together for about 10 minutes, rendering as much of the fat as possible.

Add the chicken to the pork and sausage in the dutch oven. Turn up the heat just a bit as the chicken will start to lose its water. Keep stirring. After 10 to 15 minutes you should have a nice batch of browned meat and some grease in the pot.

Add the veggies to the dutch oven with the meat; stir until they are mixed well with the meats. You want them to cook down and begin to caramelize. Keep and eye on them so they don’t burn to the bottom-you want them to stick a little, but keep scraping the bits off the bottom. After about 15 minutes add the garlic and stir until aromatic-about 2 minutes or so. Add about half of the herb and spice blend and some salt, stir it up good.

Now you will add the stock. Start with just about a cup or so at first and use it to deglaze the bottom. Add the parsley and about half the remaining herb and spice blend-save a little to add at the end if you think you need it. Now add the remaining stock and bring to a steady boil for 15 minutes, uncovered.

After 15 minutes add the rice, stir together and return to a full boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot tightly and cook on low for a total of 30 minutes. Do not uncover the pot except one time-at the 15 minute mark to stir the jambalaya completely-scrapping off the bottom so it does not scorch; replace the lid to cover tightly.

After 30 minutes (15 minutes after you stirred) taste it-it’s done if the rice is cooked. If all of the stock has not been absorbed, cook it a little more uncovered; if all the stock has been absorbed but it’s not quite cooked, add a little of the stock you reserved and cook it covered another 5 minutes or so. Keep checking like this and it will be done.

Recipe Notes

This is a Classic Jambalaya because it’s the basic pork, sausage and chicken in the cajun style. Other meats and veggies can be used but its best if most of your meat has a relatively high fat content. The quantities don’t have to be exact but should be somewhat proportional; but if there is something you like-use more, if there is something you don’t like-use less or substitute.

The recipe can be cut in half easily.

A heavy cast iron Dutch oven is best, but all you need is a pot that you can cover tightly big enough to hold all the ingredients. Getting all your ingredients prepped and together before you start will make this process much easier.

2 Replies to “Classic Cajun Jambalaya”

This is a fantastic jambalaya reciepe! I have made it several times and always turns out great. AND.. The reciepe is easy to follow. This time I made it in my “instant pot” you still have all the prep time. And browning of of meats and sautéing veggies. But after adding the chicken stock add rice and cook on manual for 8 min! And done. All my rice was cooked evenly with a great consistency. Cuts the cooking time in half! I highly recommend this, and all sweet daddy-d reciepies.